x
After Jude had finished telling me he was also a patient of Dr. Alder's, I asked why he was there, like it was the most normal question in the world. Even though I hadn't answered him when he asked, he still gave me some insight to who he was.342Please respect copyright.PENANA1ATYjuI3pO
342Please respect copyright.PENANAxBNkRjUZPs
"My dad thought there was something wrong with me because I didn't like spending all of my free time with him. I wanted to go out with my friends and go to parties, and when I came home drunk once, he said he'd had enough. He called my mom the next morning and they both agreed that I should go see someone. Unfortunately for me, Dallas is an old friend of the family. Doesn't that make my visits all the more special?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAWyFgFkEDIY
342Please respect copyright.PENANAGhMBnH5UUp
It struck me as odd that he'd call his psychiatrist by her first name, but I didn't say anything about it. Instead I asked, "Does that make it weird?"342Please respect copyright.PENANArpbphYQHZK
342Please respect copyright.PENANAdrphkj5uSI
"What?" He was in the process of shredding a napkin up and hadn't heard me.342Please respect copyright.PENANAi3Vm9jSF8q
342Please respect copyright.PENANAHQauBYPlUC
"With her being a family friend. Isn't it strange? I mean, if she's so close, wouldn't she have known your problems before you got an appointment with her?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAESg5uM4yjJ
342Please respect copyright.PENANAPJPOruBG10
"My parents didn't tell her anything. That would be kind of stupid, wouldn't it?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAaxWQigLXV8
342Please respect copyright.PENANAxVtN3P7pdR
"But didn't your parents have to call her?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAE7QNit0vbC
342Please respect copyright.PENANARLejyKY2Bo
Jude looked at me, the torn napkin forgotten. His eyes held mine for a minute before he said, "Are you trying to ruin my explanation or something? You're the one who asked for it, remember?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAN5Xyq0k6wu
342Please respect copyright.PENANAfI32WHakA0
I frowned. "Sorry. Go on."342Please respect copyright.PENANAMNkLtHIVnB
342Please respect copyright.PENANA9rry8iPBre
He smiled, but only slightly, like he was silently thanking me for letting him continue.342Please respect copyright.PENANA8xpe8RPY6Q
342Please respect copyright.PENANAgjui82IBHu
"Anyway, you should have seen her face when I walked into her office. She looked like she forgot who was coming in that day. But when we started talking, she understood things very quickly. I was actually surprised, but I guess in her line of work, she got a lot of nut jobs."342Please respect copyright.PENANA8iKus4B1Jp
342Please respect copyright.PENANA5ZpOePZVer
I stiffened.342Please respect copyright.PENANAGQ95vCDTop
342Please respect copyright.PENANAtbO9EZI2bT
He blinked at me. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Kendall. I didn't mean it like that."342Please respect copyright.PENANApdBjjeCp63
342Please respect copyright.PENANAQL3TuTDAQv
"It's okay." But it wasn't. I just didn't want him to know that.342Please respect copyright.PENANAkwRXP3i2uE
342Please respect copyright.PENANAzsWM14pFDU
Jude looked at me, his head tilted slightly, like he was trying to figure me out. He was going to fail with that one. Then he let out a long sigh and picked up his mug, draining his coffee.342Please respect copyright.PENANAMcafwk8eF5
342Please respect copyright.PENANAMMo12xjMnT
"Listen," he said after he finished, "I'm not going to judge you or anything if you tell me your secret. It's not a big deal, really. I bet you're normal compared to some of the patients Dallas gets."342Please respect copyright.PENANAoUE8X82Qe1
342Please respect copyright.PENANA4ZTbeCSUKn
"It's not that simple," I said, though my voice was now tight, small. "If I tell you, you might get hurt."342Please respect copyright.PENANA1OqAZbWI40
342Please respect copyright.PENANAOsEOZ4xuCP
That was when Jude laughed. When he stopped he said, "Please. How the hell can what's already happened hurt me?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAe8MOGx7d2V
342Please respect copyright.PENANA8IX8hSTI8u
"You don't understand!" I practically shouted in his face, my vision blurring. "I can't tell you what happens because then you're going to go away."342Please respect copyright.PENANAjhDHAGq4nV
342Please respect copyright.PENANACAkAgMvSyD
"Wait." His eyes widened and he leaned forward. "What do you mean 'happens'? Kendall, what's going on?" He reached across the table for my hand, and I let him take it. He squeezed my fingers.342Please respect copyright.PENANANTGE4gFWKe
342Please respect copyright.PENANADjXcTur8D7
I looked up at him. I could feel the tears running down my cheeks now. I took a breath and finally told him. Then I wished I hadn't opened my mouth.342Please respect copyright.PENANAEBzXvEc8Ux
342Please respect copyright.PENANAssmWYZhYty
"I have dreams almost every night about killing people, only they aren't my dreams, and now I'm afraid you're going to die, too."342Please respect copyright.PENANAfCbMXelANT
342Please respect copyright.PENANAL1Sjx9Jmbx
Before he could reply, I stood up and ran out. But something stopped me halfway out of the shop. The window, there was something taped to it. I wiped my eyes and looked at the white piece of paper. The words MISSING PERSON were typed in big, bold letters on the top of the page, and underneath was a picture. A picture of someone I knew.
ns 172.70.39.4da2 342Please respect copyright.PENANAxBNkRjUZPs
"My dad thought there was something wrong with me because I didn't like spending all of my free time with him. I wanted to go out with my friends and go to parties, and when I came home drunk once, he said he'd had enough. He called my mom the next morning and they both agreed that I should go see someone. Unfortunately for me, Dallas is an old friend of the family. Doesn't that make my visits all the more special?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAWyFgFkEDIY
342Please respect copyright.PENANAGhMBnH5UUp
It struck me as odd that he'd call his psychiatrist by her first name, but I didn't say anything about it. Instead I asked, "Does that make it weird?"342Please respect copyright.PENANArpbphYQHZK
342Please respect copyright.PENANAdrphkj5uSI
"What?" He was in the process of shredding a napkin up and hadn't heard me.342Please respect copyright.PENANAi3Vm9jSF8q
342Please respect copyright.PENANAHQauBYPlUC
"With her being a family friend. Isn't it strange? I mean, if she's so close, wouldn't she have known your problems before you got an appointment with her?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAESg5uM4yjJ
342Please respect copyright.PENANAPJPOruBG10
"My parents didn't tell her anything. That would be kind of stupid, wouldn't it?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAaxWQigLXV8
342Please respect copyright.PENANAxVtN3P7pdR
"But didn't your parents have to call her?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAE7QNit0vbC
342Please respect copyright.PENANARLejyKY2Bo
Jude looked at me, the torn napkin forgotten. His eyes held mine for a minute before he said, "Are you trying to ruin my explanation or something? You're the one who asked for it, remember?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAN5Xyq0k6wu
342Please respect copyright.PENANAfI32WHakA0
I frowned. "Sorry. Go on."342Please respect copyright.PENANAMNkLtHIVnB
342Please respect copyright.PENANA9rry8iPBre
He smiled, but only slightly, like he was silently thanking me for letting him continue.342Please respect copyright.PENANA8xpe8RPY6Q
342Please respect copyright.PENANAgjui82IBHu
"Anyway, you should have seen her face when I walked into her office. She looked like she forgot who was coming in that day. But when we started talking, she understood things very quickly. I was actually surprised, but I guess in her line of work, she got a lot of nut jobs."342Please respect copyright.PENANA8iKus4B1Jp
342Please respect copyright.PENANA5ZpOePZVer
I stiffened.342Please respect copyright.PENANAGQ95vCDTop
342Please respect copyright.PENANAtbO9EZI2bT
He blinked at me. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Kendall. I didn't mean it like that."342Please respect copyright.PENANApdBjjeCp63
342Please respect copyright.PENANAQL3TuTDAQv
"It's okay." But it wasn't. I just didn't want him to know that.342Please respect copyright.PENANAkwRXP3i2uE
342Please respect copyright.PENANAzsWM14pFDU
Jude looked at me, his head tilted slightly, like he was trying to figure me out. He was going to fail with that one. Then he let out a long sigh and picked up his mug, draining his coffee.342Please respect copyright.PENANAMcafwk8eF5
342Please respect copyright.PENANAMMo12xjMnT
"Listen," he said after he finished, "I'm not going to judge you or anything if you tell me your secret. It's not a big deal, really. I bet you're normal compared to some of the patients Dallas gets."342Please respect copyright.PENANAoUE8X82Qe1
342Please respect copyright.PENANA4ZTbeCSUKn
"It's not that simple," I said, though my voice was now tight, small. "If I tell you, you might get hurt."342Please respect copyright.PENANA1OqAZbWI40
342Please respect copyright.PENANAOsEOZ4xuCP
That was when Jude laughed. When he stopped he said, "Please. How the hell can what's already happened hurt me?"342Please respect copyright.PENANAe8MOGx7d2V
342Please respect copyright.PENANA8IX8hSTI8u
"You don't understand!" I practically shouted in his face, my vision blurring. "I can't tell you what happens because then you're going to go away."342Please respect copyright.PENANAjhDHAGq4nV
342Please respect copyright.PENANACAkAgMvSyD
"Wait." His eyes widened and he leaned forward. "What do you mean 'happens'? Kendall, what's going on?" He reached across the table for my hand, and I let him take it. He squeezed my fingers.342Please respect copyright.PENANANTGE4gFWKe
342Please respect copyright.PENANADjXcTur8D7
I looked up at him. I could feel the tears running down my cheeks now. I took a breath and finally told him. Then I wished I hadn't opened my mouth.342Please respect copyright.PENANAEBzXvEc8Ux
342Please respect copyright.PENANAssmWYZhYty
"I have dreams almost every night about killing people, only they aren't my dreams, and now I'm afraid you're going to die, too."342Please respect copyright.PENANAfCbMXelANT
342Please respect copyright.PENANAL1Sjx9Jmbx
Before he could reply, I stood up and ran out. But something stopped me halfway out of the shop. The window, there was something taped to it. I wiped my eyes and looked at the white piece of paper. The words MISSING PERSON were typed in big, bold letters on the top of the page, and underneath was a picture. A picture of someone I knew.
342Please respect copyright.PENANAtFkeXKu7I0